Prophecy
by KaioM
Summary: The trouble with a prophecy starts from the second it's brought to light. But, see, the worst kind of prophecy is the specific one; the prophecy called fate. What's really bad about fate, though, is that fate is always changing. Rika finds out the hard way that fate is hardly ever what it seems to be, and it wasn't fun. Minato and Kushina are alive, Naruto has a twin sister. AU fic


**.:Prophecy:.**

**By: KaioM**

** Author's note:** This is a new story. I actually really like this concept, mainly because I can't find a single good story that involves the idea I am about to use in this story. You may think that this story is just going to end up cliché, but please read it before judging it. I have no beta, so sorry about mistakes. Thank you. And for future reference, the name Rika can be translated as or written with a meaning of 'eternal ruler'.

* * *

_I guess I always sort of knew it would happen. Eventually._

_It was a little bit… Obvious. Not even that surprising, honestly. It almost made sense when you looked at it in a morbid, disconnected way._

_I had friends. Of course I did. I was the Hokage's daughter; people latched onto me. Some clans even hoped to marry me into their family and create better ties to the Hokage. I was the perfect pawn; even though I was born first, my brother was the heir, and I was just a girl._

_I had family. A mother, a father, a brother. I guess they might've loved me, at first. We'll probably never know, huh?_

_But even in the beginning, even before everything, and, hell, even before me, there was always something there. Something between me and everyone else that just made me… Stand out, I guess._

_There was a tiny little crack that had been there for years before I even existed. Naturally, that crack was bound to grow._

_I sped up the process a bit, that's all._

_Sometimes I wonder about that, late at night when the world around me is quiet and I have nothing else to do aside from think. If I'd never come to be… If it'd just been my brother… Would anything have come of that crack? Would anyone have even noticed it? Would that crack matter at all to anyone?_

_It doesn't matter now. I guess it never really did. What happened is what happened, and no amount of wondering will change any of it._

_I'd like to think that it would've been seen. I'd like to think that the crack would become as large as it did without me. That it wasn't my fault. It hurts to think that it was my fault._

_Because that crack between me and the rest of the world got bigger, and deeper, than I ever would've thought possible, all in what feels like a blink of an eye. And it hurt, okay? It hurt being on the other side, all by myself. It hurt._

_Was it my fault that any of it happened? If I had acted differently, would that crack still be where it started?_

_Is what happened to me my fault?_

_Was all the pain my fault?_

_I'd like to say it wasn't. But you know what I'd like more? You know what's better than reassuring yourself?_

_I just wish there were someone else here who could tell me it wasn't._

_Who could tell me that I'm not to blame._

_Is there anyone like that out there?_

_Anyone? Please?_

_Can anyone help me?_

_**Chapter 1-Rift**_

"This is Namikaze Naruto, my son, hero of Konoha!"

Minato held his child high in the air, and, despite himself, couldn't help but feel proud. Konoha needed to share in that pride. Moral was considerably low after the attack, which had only just ended. Even if the Sandiame had died to perform that one last technique, the jutsu that had saved them all, the small boy being examined by the population of Konoha represented hope.

At least, Minato thought Naruto did.

"Naruto! Naruto!" Minato shouted to the populace, hoping they would start going along with it. This would be immeasurably easier if Kushina were here, but she still seemed to be recovering, and he wouldn't push her. As long as the midwives kept Naruto's sister away from Kushina, then Minato was sure of his wife's recovery.

The crowd below Minato picked up on his words, chanting the boy's name.

The chant was indefinitely louder with all of Konoha saying it. "Naruto! Naruto!" Minato wanted to recoil away from the sheer volume, and briefly wondered how Naruto could sleep through a noise like that.

Across Konoha, in the room she'd given birth in, Kushina held her daughter against her chest, calming the child's erratic cries.

"Don't worry, Rika-chan. Mama haven't forgotten you."

Kushina snuggled the baby closer to her.

"It's okay."

The chants of '_Naruto!_' echoed throughout the night.

(-Prophecy-)

In a park near their home was the Namikaze family. Rika hadn't left her mother's side throughout the entire visit, while Naruto had recently been called back. Minato lingered close by, a fond look in his eyes as he watched his wife and children.

"Tou-san, Kaa-san, can we have ramen for dinner today? Please, bayo?"

Kushina smiled down at her daughter. Always polite, this one, even at seven years of age. Even though Rika was an exact copy of Kushina in looks, her mannerisms were very different. In fact, aside from their verbal ticks, there were hardly any personality traits that shared. "Of course, Rika-chan! I'll make ramen tonight, just because you asked nicely." Kushina didn't mind it at all. Rika was a good child.

"Kaa-chan!" Naruto shouted, obnoxious as usual. He himself looked exactly like Minato, down to the last detail. However, by some twist of fate, he had no verbal tick and was louder than Kushina had ever been. "I don't wan' no ramen! No! No! No!" He continued chanting it loudly.

"Naruto." Minato said sternly. His son quieted. The Hokage turned to his wife. "Kushina, how about you make some udon tonight instead? It's Naruto's favorite food, you know." Minato's voice was reasonable, and Rika's face fell. Her father didn't notice. Kushina sighed, and tightened her grip on Rika's hand comfortingly.

"Yeah! Udon! Udon! Udon! Udo-"

"Naruto."

The boy quieted.

Kushina huffed. "Minato, I made udon yesterday. And Rika asked so nicely, dattebane!" Kushina switched on her puppy dog eyes. Rika attempted to copy her mother's look; a massive success. "We haven't had ramen in forever! It's my favorite food! Please, Minato? Pretty please?"

"Pretty, pretty please?" Rika echoed.

Minato froze in the face of Kushina's famed eye jutsu times two.

"Alright." He gave in. Rika grinned brilliantly, a rare thing for her, while Naruto pouted.

As the Namikazes walked back to their clan house, Naruto silently swore to make Rika sorry for stealing away his favorite food.

Oblivious, Rika held her mother's hand, pulling Kushina towards the house eagerly. For the first time, things were going her way! _She'd_ gotten to pick the food they ate for dinner, not her brother! It was amazing!

Naruto glared viciously.

(-Prophecy-)

At dinner that night, as Rika was eating, she frowned. "Kaa-san, mine tastes funny." Rika almost felt like her tongue was _burning_. Was it? Rika sniffed her food experimentally. It smelled like bleach.

"Rika, don't complain. You wanted to eat this, remember?" Minato reminded her, not even glancing up from his own food. His tone was annoyed, a slight tinge of anger added in.

"But it really does!" Rika insisted. "It tastes like bleach, Kaa-san."

Kushina frowned. "Rika, that isn't a funny joke." If Rika had even had a small bit of bleach, she'd be unbearably sick, or dead.

"What? Not a joke, bayo."

"Rika, stop. Apologize to your mother." Minato looked up from his ramen, clearly irritated. His face was a sharp contrast to what the citizens of Konoha usually saw.

Rika was bewildered. "For what?" She cried, looking from her father to her mother.

"Rika!" Minato's tone was sharper than intended, loud enough to cover up Naruto's nearly silent snickering. "Apologize, or go to your room."

"I didn't do anything, bayo!"

"Room."

"Minato, maybe that's a little harsh…" Kushina looked over at Rika, uncomfortable with sending the girl away for something so small. Rika had never done anything like this before, and Kushina was starting to think that Rika hadn't done anything at all.

"I disagree." Minato said, coldly, still staring at his daughter. "Rika, go. Leave your food."

Rika stood, angry. "Fine!" She spat, dropping her spoon into the ramen bowl with an angry clang.

Halfway up the stairs, Rika looked back at her family. Naruto stuck his tongue out at her when their parents weren't looking, then he laughed at her. It struck Rika then that _Naruto_ was the one who'd put that gross tasting stuff in her ramen. And she couldn't tell Kaa-san or Otou-san because they wouldn't believe her!

Rika ran up the rest of the stairs. It wasn't fair! Now she didn't get to finish her ramen, and the next time Kaa-san made any could be months from now! Meanwhile, Naruto would sit down there with their parents while she sat in her room alone for something she didn't do!

Rika sprinted up the rest of the stairs and spent the next hour glaring at her door.

Even if she didn't know it, that was the first time Rika ever used killing intent.

(-Prophecy-)

"Tou-san! Tou-san! When ca' I learn ninja stuff?" Naruto bounced in place excitedly. Minato laughed lightly, lifting a large chunk of salmon onto Naruto's plate. The dinner table atmosphere was calm; Kushina and Rika ate silently.

"Well, you're probably not ready for weapon training…" Naruto wilted. "But chakra control is within your reach! We'll spend a lot of time together working on it, and then we can start on jutsu!" Minato smiled warmly at his son, not catching the repeated phrase of 'we'.

Rika jumped at the chance to spend time with her father. "What about me, Otou-san?" She tried to keep her voice calm, but still ended up sounding ridiculously excited. Rika's chopsticks hovered over her bowl of rice, and her hands were almost shaking from anticipation.

Minato scrutinized Rika, which was a funny look for a person who was stuffing their face with steamed fish. "I don't know…" He managed to say around his food.

Kushina, sensing that Rika was losing ground, spoke up. "Minato, if you're that worried about her, then I'll just work on her calligraphy. There's no need for someone like Rika to get started on advanced chakra control so early anyway."

"Alright." Minato relented. Naruto made a sour face at his sister, but was soon distracted by his food. "I'll teach Naruto some higher level things, and you can teach Rika simpler stuff, okay?"

Rika frowned. Why could Naruto do things she couldn't?

Kushina rolled her eyes, picking listlessly at her salmon piece in distain. "Minato, I know. Naruto's special chakra will be what really matters in terms of learning speed."

Rika narrowed her eyes. That wasn't the first time her parents had mentioned special chakra in relation to Naruto. She lowered her chopsticks and clenched her fists under the table.

Kushina glanced down at her daughter. "Oh, are you done, Rika-chan? You're excused."

Rika glared at the table fiercely. "Hai." She ground out, standing stiffly and taking her plate to the sink. Rika washed her dish out, then placed it in the washer carefully. By this point, Minato had finished, and it was only polite to wash his dish, too. Then Rika's mother finished, and Rika was already doing Minato's dishes, so she had to do Kushina's as well, because declining when asked to wash dishes would be rude.

Kushina and Minato waited patiently for Naruto to finish, talking with him the entire time. When he eventually did, Rika washed his dishes.

Rika couldn't help but notice that when she was the one who hadn't finished eating yet, no one waited for her while talking excitedly like they wanted to be there.

No one did her dishes.

And no one even said thank you.

If there was a chip in Naruto's favorite plate the next morning, Rika couldn't be held accountable.

No one had bothered to wait around with Rika, so no one knew it was her.

The thought left a bitter taste in Rika's mouth.

(-Prophecy-)

All she had done for the past month was rewrite her characters, compare them to Kushina's, rewrite them again, and read seal theory.

Rika was starting to become irritated.

So, she experimented.

Whenever Kushina turned her back, Rika combined the symbols in countless ways, saving the ones that complied with seal theory and getting rid of the ones that didn't. Seal theory made sense to her, and was almost interesting. At least, it was in comparison to the normal scrolls Rika studied.

"Okay, Rika-chan, after this we're…" Kushina's voice trailed off, then returned with a scolding lift. "Rika! What are you doing? I told you to keep practicing with your kanji…" Surprisingly, Kushina trailed off a second time, only to snatch the paper from the table to stare at it. Rika felt that using a dojo just to practice writing characters was a bit much, but the Namikaze were a rich family, so…

"Rika." Rika met her mother's gaze, hesitant, but didn't look away. "What is this?" Kushina's hand, holding the incriminating scribbles that Rika had been working on, was shaking.

"Nothing, Kaa-san! I'm sorry for not paying attention to you, but… Well…"

Kushina raised an eyebrow, and Rika flushed in embarrassment.

"Rika."

"Yes?"

"You…" Rika cringed, prepared for the punishment. "Are a genius!"

Rika winced, already starting an apology, when Kushina's words registered.

"Wha-huh?"

"Rika-chan, you understand seal theory much better than I thought you did! I'm so proud of you! I guess it runs in your blood, right?" Kushina winked at her daughter, enjoying the slow smile that spread across Rika's face.

"Hai!"

Kushina laughed. "Okay, if you already understand enough theory to create seals like this, then we're gonna have to move on to the more complicated stuff, kay?"

Rika really liked being included in the 'we' this time. She nodded, actually enthusiastic. Even if Rika wasn't spending time with her dad, Kushina was pretty cool, too.

"Hai!"

Rika grinned at her mother. Who cares about little things, like who waits for who after dinner? Kushina was spending time with her, and Naruto could go do whatever he wanted! Rika didn't care, not at all!

Still, while working with her mother on memorizing simple seals, Rika couldn't help but wonder why Minato wanted to teach Naruto instead of her, or why the little things always seemed to add up to Naruto getting more attention.

The bitter taste grew worse, and it took all of Rika's will power not to make a face while practicing seals with her mother.

(-Prophecy-)

Rika was very, very happy.

Her eighth birthday was in a week. Kaa-san had promised to make ramen _and_ a cake. A strawberry one. With frosting.

Rika was on the moon just _thinking_ about that cake.

And presents! She'd be getting _presents_. Rika had spent hours poring over what her gift to Naruto should be, until she finally settled on a shiny set of kunai and a book called, '_Tale of the Gusty Ninja_', whose hero shared his name. Did he get her anything? Rika was so excited.

Birthdays happen every day. But this one was _hers_. And she got to share it with her brother! Rika couldn't believe how happy she was.

Unfortunately, while Rika was humming and smiling at random times while eating breakfast with her family, Naruto did not share her enthusiasm.

"Kaa-chan! Otou-san!" Rika cried, shooting into a standing position. "I'm finished. May I please go to my room? Please, bayo?"

Minato let a smile warm his face. Kushina was the one who replied. "Of course, Rika-chan. Just wash off your plate, okay?"

"Hai!"

Rika rushed up the stairs, determined to wrap Naruto's gifts _perfectly_. Their birthday would perfect, and for that to happen the gifts had to be perfect, and for that to happen, Rika _had_ to wrap his gift _perfectly_.

Once Rika disappeared around the corner, obviously going to her room, Naruto sighed hugely. "Why do I 'ave to share my birthday with her?" Naruto whined, glaring down at the floor.

"Naruto." Kushina reprimanded gently, taking the remaining plates with her to the kitchen. "Rika-chan loves you. She spent all her allowance on your present, you know. She's been saving it since we started the allowance system, but she loved you so much that she wanted to get something nice!" Naruto frowned. Despite his best efforts at looking upset, he couldn't help the warm feeling he got thinking about what Rika's present was.

"Try to be nice to your sister, okay?"

Naruto nodded at his father, a serious look on his face. "Kay."

Minato laughed. Kushina smiled. Naruto looked down at his feet, appearing significantly cowed. His bangs flopped down, blocking the grin of his face from view.

Rika sat in her room, wrapping her brother's gift as slow as possible to ensure that no mistakes were made.

(-Prophecy-)

Soon enough, the big day arrived. October tenth was the biggest festival of the year; everyone knew it was the Hokage's son's birthday. _Everyone_.

Meanwhile, as the village celebrated outside, inside the Namikaze mansion sat the duo birthday party set up for Naruto and Rika; nearly every clan head and heir was currently singing to them, much to Naruto's excitement. Rika felt almost embarrassed, but most of her was just happy. People really cared enough to do _this_, for _her_. It warmed the girl's heart.

"Happy birthday, dear Naruto…" In a quick save, Rika was noticed. "And Rika! Happy birthday to you!"

Cheers erupted from the people around them. Rika smiled shyly, pushing a red bang behind her ear. Naruto grinned, enjoying the attention.

"Okay, kids!" Minato shouted. "Time for presents, then cake!"

Rika smiled brightly. Naruto's grin took a sly turn. Some of the children who'd come to their party, mostly clan heirs, let their own smiles light their faces.

It went in a system, with Naruto opening a present, followed by Rika doing the same. After Rika's tenth gift, she ran out, although it didn't bother her much. A weapons pouch from her father, kunai from the Uchiha, countless flower seeds-most of them poisons-from the Yamanaka, some targets for kunai training... It was enough for any eight year old, even if Rika was most excited by Kushina's gift, which had been the largest sealing scroll Rika had ever seen. Naruto kept on going, until thirty more had been opened. The only one left now was Rika's gift for him, just as Rika had saved his gift to her.

"Open mine first!" Naruto cried, excited. "Open it, Rika!"

Rika looked up at her brother. Her smile could've lit up the room. "Hai, nii-san!" She carefully removed the tape on the wrapping, before she revealed a small cardboard box. She tenderly opened the flaps.

The second it was opened, highlighter yellow paint exploded in her face.

Rika blinked looking down on herself in confusion. The paint had covered her entire front, leaving nothing clean. The stains would never come out, she could tell. Rika looked down at her ruined kimono, it's black and red colored flower pattern destroyed. This had been her favorite, and Rika knew for a fact that it was expensive by how Kushina had struggled over buying it.

Rika felt tears prick her eyes.

Then, things got worse.

Naruto burst into laughter, clutching his stomach. He laughed _loudly_, and soon, everyone seemed to have joined in. Laughing echoed from all corners of the room, with Rika standing the center, next to her brother, covered in paint.

"It's not funny!"

She found herself shouting it, over and over again. "It's not funny! It's not funny! It's _not_ funny!" The people stopped, looking at her. "It is _not_ _funny_ at all!" Rika could feel tears starting to build around the edges of her eyes, and forcefully held them back, because Namikaze Uzumaki Rika did _not_ cry. Ever. Naruto turned to his sister.

"Jeez, can't you take a joke? Loser!"

Silence reined after his declaration, broken only by the occasional sniff from Rika.

"Y-you…" Rika whimpered, staring down at the floor blankly. Her dull stare slowly migrated to Naruto's face, shifting quickly to a glare. Without warning, surprisingly strong killing intent saturated the air around Rika, and her eyes seemed to almost become… Animalistic. Was it just the light, or were Rika's pupils slit?

Naruto choked on nothing, Rika's KI cracking him.

"I'm never getting you anything ever again." Rika didn't even sound that angry. Just cold. Very distant, and very cold.

"I hate you very much right now, brother. Please refrain from coming near me for a sufficient amount of time." Rika heard herself say, but it sounded like she was miles away, worlds away from herself.

In that second, Rika truly hated her brother.

Rika carefully lifted the perfectly wrapped square with a perfect little label that read, '_To Naruto, love Rika_' on it. Rika stared at the present for a moment, then looked up at Naruto and said, "You can't have this. You don't deserve it. I'm going to use it instead." Her killing intent hadn't faltered.

Rika turned swiftly on her heel, gathering her gifts quickly. There weren't that many of them, and Rika narrowed her eyes at the pile of presents for her brother. Bitterness, an unknown, unwelcome feeling set itself inside of Rika's heart.

Rika had never been this angry and disappointed and sad and _hurt_ before. As she walked stiffly up the stairs and through the hallway that led to her room, Rika silently hoped in vain that she would never feel this way again.

Rika used her free hand to open her door. She took a couple steps into the room, just staring. Staring at nothing, really. Looking at nothing.

Abruptly, she dropped the gifts to the floor loudly.

Rika turned, slowly slid her door shut again. Turned back, stared some more.

Naruto's gift seemed to stand out more than the others, drawing Rika's attention. She'd spent so much _time_ on that… And money, too…

Didn't he _care_ at all?

Rika felt more pathetic than anything when hurt feelings bubbled up inside her.

Rika looked over at her bed, sorely tempted to just jump into it, but instead stripped herself of the ruined kimono, snuggling into shorts and a tee shirt for sleep. Rika blew her nose loudly into toilet paper, praising herself mentally for not crying.

Rika could still hear the party downstairs.

That hurt her feelings, too, and Rika clenched her fists at her sides tightly.

The door was pushed over a crack. "Rika-chan?"

The intense layer of killing intent curled up the walls a little, fading ever so slightly. "What is it, Kaa-san?" Rika didn't turn around to face her mother, instead choosing to stare at her room, memorizing it. The desk in one corner, her bed in the opposite, closet door next to the bed, bathroom door on left wall, a window with an absolutely amazing view of Konoha, and-

"Rika-chan, I'm sorry."

Rika slowly turned to look at Kushina, who smiled weakly at her. Rika couldn't help but return it, her eyes softening. The thick KI was almost nonexistent. "For what, Kaa-san? You didn't do anything." Rika said softly.

Kushina sighed. "Yeah, well." A comfortable silence, soon broken. "Hey, I brought cake. And ramen. All for you." Kushina set the tray of food on the floor with a soft clink. "And… Rika-chan?"

"Hmm?" Rika murmured, staring at the food.

Kushina silently remembered the killing intent that had flooded from Rika during the party downstairs. "You're going to be a great shinobi one day."

"Like you?"

Kushina turned away, brushing tears from her eyes. "Yup!" She chirped, fake cheer emanating from her. "Maybe even better!" Kushina stepped out of the room, sliding the door shut. "Bye, Rika-chan!"

Rika stared at the door blankly, then kneeled down on the ground, looking down at the frosting covered strawberry cake and high quality ramen. Even after eating it, Rika could shake that feeling.

Why was it that what Kushina had said didn't feel like a compliment?

Rika sighed to herself, mentally declaring this an off day. She slid open the door to her room, walking silently down the hallway and stairs. It was empty, and she knew that, but Rika couldn't help but wish someone had waited for her.

Rika resigned herself to waiting, but the festival ended at midnight. A glance up at the clock revealed that there were still three hours for Rika to kill.

Somehow, Rika found herself in the library, digging through history scrolls with an energy that she usually kept to herself.

"'On the tenth of October, the great Kyuubi attacked Konoha, but was subdued by the combined effort of the Yondaime and the Sandiame…'" Rika read aloud, scanning the scroll for anything interesting. "Sandiame killed by Kyuubi during battle… Hmm… This book doesn't specify the cause of death…" Rika frowned, then read. "'The Sandiame saved the village from Kyuubi for a least a lifetime.' Strange words to use, if Kyuubi is gone." Rika tossed the scroll away, sniffing. "How disgusting!" She muttered indignantly. "To celebrate October tenth like some kind of holiday. How many people died?"

Rika stepped carefully around the scrolls she had knocked off the shelves. The family library was normally perfectly straight and horribly dusty, mainly due to the fact that no one used it. Rika lifted up another scroll, skimming through it.

"That's… A lot of people." Rika eyes rushed down the scroll, staring at the names in horror. How could the village be okay with celebrating her birthday in an excited fervor when… This has happened?"

Rika tossed the scroll aside and stood.

"No one comes in here anyway…" She muttered, wringing her hands together. "It's not like I have to put those away or anything."

The scrolls suddenly appeared much more threatening.

Rika put them away before leaving the library.

She walked quietly through the hallway, then down the stairs. The house was dead silent by this time.

The clock that sat above the front door proclaimed that the time was eleven o' clock. Rika stared at it, watched the minutes go by. Someone, the silence was louder than any noise could be. Rika slowly migrated towards the window.

People rushed by, laughing and dancing and lighting sparklers. The entire village seemed so happy, and Rika was…

Alone. In her house. While her family was out somewhere in the village having a great time. On her birthday.

Rika couldn't stop the wave of disgust that swept through her. Why was anyone celebrating, anyway? This was the anniversary the Kyuubi attack, not some kind of party.

It didn't matter.

Otou-san had to come home eventually, and when he did, Rika was going to be right here by the door, waiting.

She'd wait.

Rika sat at the window, watching the festival. Her face slumped forwards, pressing against the glass. Her eyes slipped closed.

At exactly 12:00 in the morning, fireworks exploded outside, high in the sky. Rika was asleep by then.

When Rika woke up alone two hours later, she decided they weren't worth waiting for. Or, she tried to convince herself they weren't. If her family didn't think she was worth waiting for, why were they? What was the point in lingering around, wishing and wishing and wishing that her father would just _come_ _home_ and _pay_ _attention_ to her instead of her _brother_, and why wouldn't Kaa-san wait for her instead of leaving-

Rika took a deep breath.

Moved her gaze away from the window.

Took a step back.

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

"Don't cry, don't cry…" Rika wrapped her arms around herself, staring down at her shoes. "Please, please-" Tears started to build in Rika's eyes.

Clenched fists.

Tightly closed eyes.

"It's okay. Kaa-san and Otou-san love you, Rika. They love you, they love you, Naruto loves you…" Rika's voice was getting colder and colder, more and more distant, quieter and quieter. "Don't you dare cry…"

It was not comforting.

Disobedient tears started to push forcefully against closed lids.

Rika turned away from the window slowly, liquid beginning to drip down her face. Her steps were silent, somehow sharp.

She slid open the door to her room, staring down at the gifts littering the floor. The nicely stacked plates and tray seemed… Mocking.

Rika drifted towards the large window, setting her gaze onto the excited village below her. There were still fireworks going off, excited cheering across Konoha, music blaring from sections of the village. Konoha was brightly lit; on a normal day, the lights would be off. Even the 24 hour market would normally be dark.

Everything Rika could see was energetic and alive. Even with the sun slowly rising in the distance, even though it wasn't the warmest October, everyone was so happy…

Rika collapsed backwards onto her bed and tried to pretend that she wasn't crying herself to sleep.

Because tomorrow, Otou-san will come home and tell Rika he loves her, and Kaa-san will say the same thing and Naruto will say sorry and everything will be perfect.

The next morning, no one told Rika that they loved her, and Naruto did not apologize.

Rika tried to pretend that it didn't bother her. It didn't hurt when her parents ignored her. It didn't hurt when Otou-san would rather spend time with Naruto instead of her.

It didn't hurt.

It didn't hurt.

It didn't hurt.

Why would it hurt her? Rika was fine.

It did _not_ hurt.

* * *

**Author's note:** I know, I know. I tried so hard to make it to longer, but it just wasn't happening. I have enough time skips already. Review please, tell me what you think. Thank you very much for reading!


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